COZY SETTINGS & SCENES: A REVIEW — AUGUST 28

From the very first page, I felt swept up into the lives of the characters, beginning with Lolly, who owns an inn in Boothbay Harbor, Maine, and circling out to include her daughter Kat and nieces Isabel and June.

What started as a tragedy many years before comes full circle when Lolly calls everyone home to Boothby Harbor at an unexpected time: a time that wasn’t a holiday. A call to the troops for an announcement.

The gathering came at a time in each of their lives when nothing felt certain. Isabel’s marriage is falling apart; June feels a hole in her heart left by the mysterious departure of her lover seven years before; and Kat has to decide what to do with the rest of her life.

After the announcement and what follows, with each of them staying on at the inn, I especially enjoyed the movie nights, and how the themes of Meryl Streep movies helped each of them sort out their issues.

Like a cozy quilt, I felt encircled by the warmth of the “club,” just as the characters did; and I started a small stack of my own Meryl Streep DVDs to enjoy afterwards. A cozy family story that will appeal to anyone who has ever had to make hard choices, as well as anyone who is a fan of Meryl Streep. Four stars.